Table Of ContentAdopted 10/28/2015
St. Michaels Comprehensive Plan
2015
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Preface
St. Michaels, A History
Plan Elements
Chapter 1: Land Use and Growth Management
Chapter 2: Municipal Growth and Development Regulations
Chapter 3: Environmental Resources and Sensitive Areas Protection
Chapter 4: Water Resources Element
Chapter 5: Community Facilities and Public Services
Chapter 6: Transportation
Chapter 7: Economic Development
Chapter 8: Historic and Cultural Resource Protection
Chapter 9: Parks, Recreation and Open Space
Chapter 10: Housing
Chapter 11: Community Character, Design, and Appearance
Chapter 12: Governance and Communications
Chapter 13: Mineral Resources
Chapter 14: Climate Resilience
St. Michaels Draft Comprehensive Plan 2015
Adopted 10/28/2015
Adopted by Resolution 2015-09 by the Commissioners of St. Michaels on this date, October 28, 2015.
COMMISSIONERS OF ST. MICHAELS
Joanne Clark, President
Ann Borders, Vice President
Roy Myers, Treasurer
Joyce Harrod
Jaime Windon
ST. MICHAELS PLANNING COMMISSION
William Rose, Chairman
Dorcas McGuiness
William Frost
Paulette Florio
Carol Parlett
ST. MICHAELS TOWN MANAGER
Jean Weisman
ST. MICHAELS PLANNING AND ZONING OFFICER
Deborah Renshaw
Sarah Abel
ST. MICHAELS TOWN STAFF
Dorothy Olley
Kim Shellem
Suzanna Warnick
Kathy Eglseder
Kimberly Weller
Additional Assistance was provided by
Mark Cahoon, Talbot County GIS Manager
St. Michaels Police Department
The Merchants and Business Owners of St. Michaels
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Jeff Richardson, St. Michaels Department of Public Works
Ray Clark, Talbot County Engineer
James Burdick, MD, retired member of the Planning Commission
Cover photo by William Wilhelm
St. Michaels Draft Comprehensive Plan 2015
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Acknowledgments
The Commissions and Boards of the Town of St. Michaels met throughout the process of
developing this Comprehensive Plan and their individual contributions to this document
represent hundreds of hours of work. Their responsible dedication in addressing the many and
complex issues facing the Town assures this document reflects the wide range of views they
collectively brought to the planning process and the consensus they achieved in establishing an
implementation framework. These Commissions and Boards volunteered countless hours in the
preparation of this plan and their commitment to the process is hereby acknowledged.
The Residents of St. Michaels
The members of the St. Michaels Board of Zoning Appeals
Douglas Rollow, Chairman
Laurence Pratt, Jr.
William Harvey, II
Maurice Nelson, Alternate
William Boos, Alternate
The members of the St. Michaels Historic District Commission
Peter Lesher, Chairman
Jeff Fones, Vice Chairman
Walda duPriest Brandt
James Fulton
Pamela Gardner
The members of the St. Michaels Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
Marie Wroten, Chairman
Marie Martin
Cindy Pease
Roger Galvin
The members of the Sustainable Communities Workgroup
Marie Wroten
Pete Lesher
Don Bibb
Bonnie Booth
Trish Payne
Carol Parlett
Police Chief Anthony Smith
St. Michaels Draft Comprehensive Plan 2015
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PREFACE TO THE TOWN OF
ST. MICHAELS
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The 2015 Comprehensive Plan defines the mission of our local government and a vision for the
future of St. Michaels. A core set of values also exists to guide behavior and actions concerning
the management of the Town. For staff and residents of St. Michaels, the document represents a
promise for the future and provides clear direction for where our Town is going. To “get there”
the Commissioners have committed to a set of priorities, known as “a strategic plan”, where the
Town’s financial and human resources will be focused in the coming years. St. Michaels’ Vision,
Values and Goals (Strategic Plan) are set forth as follows:
VISION STATEMENT
The Town of St. Michaels continues to be a vibrant and livable community preserving the town’s
strong historic character and long-standing waterfront orientation. We will protect our small
town quality of life and promote environmental stewardship and economic vitality. We value
opportunities in housing diversity, arts and culture, connectivity, walkability and transportation
options.
OUR TOWN CORE VALUES
Respect: The best quality of life will be achieved when the needs of all of its citizens, business
owners, tax payers and other stake-holders are respected and considered.
Integrity: Demonstrate honesty and sincerity in all of our dealings, upholding only the highest
ethical principles; to provide open and transparent communications to create informed opinion.
Compassion: Sensitivity to, and meeting the requirements of all residents with special needs and
interests, and those less fortunate.
Fiscal Responsibility: Elected officials, appointees and staff are always mindful of the need to
balance town services with reasonable fiscal responsibility.
Community Involvement: Achieve the best quality of life for all of its citizens by ensuring
business owners, tax payers, and other stake-holders are actively engaged in the town’s decision
making and work cooperatively to achieve the overall goals as set forth herein.
Innovation and Imagination: Seek innovative and imaginative ways to address the future, while
maintaining the historic character of the town.
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GOALS
Protect the Town’s historic and cultural resources by continually updating the Town Code.
Invest in technology and infrastructure necessary to serve the town’s residents and to attract and
maintain businesses.
Work with our government partners, in particular Talbot County, to assure decisions regarding
new development outside the municipal boundaries of St. Michaels have no adverse impacts on
the Town, which includes working with the County to improve the gateway approaches to Town.
Promote and provide town services that residents can rely on and which support the community’s
quality of life.
Strive to make St. Michaels a place where persons of all levels of income and ages can work and
live. Promote the development of arts, culture and our historic heritage.
Continue to promote the health of the Harbor and other adjacent waterways.
Efforts should be continued to make our Town green through the establishment of programs
targeted to tree preservation/planting, stormwater management and recycling.
Communicate clearly and effectively with the public about town services and their costs.
Pursue grant opportunities which help to fund infrastructure improvements, historic preservation,
and recreational, educational and cultural enhancements.
THE STATE OF MARYLAND TWELVE VISIONS AND GOALS
The following twelve Vision statements are based on the 1992 Planning Act, and subsequent
amendments thereto, and are incorporated into this Comprehensive Plan as fundamental goals
which will be achieved through a variety of objectives, policies, principles, recommendations,
and implementation techniques.
1. Quality of Life and Sustainability. A high quality of life is achieved through universal
stewardship of the land, water, and air resulting in sustainable communities and
protection of the environment.
2. Public Participation. Citizens are active partners in the planning and implementation of
community initiatives and are sensitive to their responsibilities in achieving community
goals.
3. Growth Areas. Growth is concentrated in existing population and business centers,
growth areas adjacent to these centers, or strategically selected new centers.
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4. Community Design. Compact, mixed-use, walkable design consistent with existing
community character and located near available or planned transit options is encouraged
to ensure efficient use of land and transportation resources and preservation and
enhancement of natural systems, open spaces, recreational areas, and historical, cultural,
and archeological resources.
5. Infrastructure. Growth areas have the water resources and infrastructure to
accommodate population and business expansion in an orderly, efficient, and
environmentally sustainable manner.
6. Transportation. A well-maintained, multimodal transportation system facilitates the
safe, convenient, affordable, and efficient movement of people, goods, and services
within and between population and business centers.
7. Housing. A range of housing densities, types, and sizes provides residential options for
citizens of all ages and incomes.
8. Economic Development. Economic development and natural resource-based businesses
that promote employment opportunities for all income levels within the capacity of the
State’s natural resources, public services, and public facilities are encouraged.
9. Environmental Protection. Land and water resources, including the Chesapeake Bay
and Coastal Bays, are carefully managed and maintain healthy air and water, natural
systems, and living resources.
10.Resource Conservation. Waterways, forests, agricultural areas, open space, natural
systems, and scenic areas are conserved.
11.Stewardship. Government, business entities, and residents are responsible for the
creation of sustainable communities by collaborating to balance efficient growth with
environmental protection.
12.Implementation. Strategies, policies, programs, and funding for growth and
development, resource conservation, infrastructure, and transportation are integrated
across the local, regional, State, and interstate levels to achieve these Visions.
DEFINITIONS
Vision Statement. A statement that communicates a compelling vision of the future that is
critical to implementing strategies and that answers the question “What will success look like in
the effective implementation of the St. Michaels Comprehensive Plan?”
Quality of Life is a condition of one’s existence that can be improved or degraded by land use
decisions based on this Comprehensive Plan. For the purpose of this document, Quality of Life
includes: health, safety and welfare of the Town; wildlife conservation; clean water in the Bay
and its tributaries; clean air and quality drinking water; sufficient and potable water in our
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aquifers; a low level of crime; employment opportunities; the relative absence of traffic
congestion and excessive noise; access to diverse cultural, employment, recreational, education
and entertainment activities; convenient access to goods and services and an ethic of personal
involvement.
Historic Character. The character or “identity” of a district is established by its form, size,
scale and architectural features. Preservation of the integrity of a district or town is based on the
retention of historic features, craftsmanship and the tangible evidence of its cultural heritage.
Environmental Stewardship is the philosophy and accompanying actions of valuing and
protecting the environment as something held in trust for future generations.
Connectivity. Connecting the community through technology and accessible public
transportation, with provisions for safe pedestrian and bicycle access and services which will
assure the health and safety of our residents and visitors.
Smart Growth. As per the State of Maryland Smart and Sustainable Growth Act of 2009, Smart
growth concentrates development in areas that have existing or planned infrastructure to avoid
sprawl. Smart Growth should support development in areas where infrastructure exists, save our
most valuable natural resources, reduce the cost of infrastructure, and provide everyone in St.
Michaels with a high quality of life.
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St. Michaels, A History.
The earliest mention of St. Michaels by name is in a legal action of 1680 to collect on a bet on a
horse race. Earlier, a log building, the first chapel of today's Christ Episcopal Church, was erected
on the site of the present church. The parish was named “St. Michaels” after the Archangel, St.
Michael. St. Michaels also became the name of the village, the church, and the river (although the
river's name was eventually changed to Miles). The actual settlement and development of the
Town of St. Michaels did not occur until the middle of the eighteenth century. As with many early
settlement churches, the Anglican (now Episcopalian) churches of the time were rural churches
designed to be in the center of scattered settlement and not in an identifiable village. St. Michaels is
one of the few Eastern Shore communities that actually grew up around its church.
The Town of St. Michaels was laid out as a community by James Braddock in the late 1770s. As
an agent for a British merchant firm, Braddock had access to financing and a motive for acquiring
the rights of the largest landowner, shipbuilder Philip Wetheral, when he died in 1774. Braddock
laid out the town on the land he bought from Wetheral’s estate and devised a town system of thirty-
six lots around a central square. That first square is St. Mary’s Square. He also laid twenty-two
other lots on Church Cove and on land along our present harbor. An interesting feature of
Braddock’s plan was a special reserved lot for a Methodist church. At the time, Methodism was a
breakaway sect from the British crown supported Anglican Church. Braddock’s town was
successful and in 1806, the Town was granted its first charter by the State of Maryland. By 1783,
twenty lots had been sold and several houses built. By 1800, St. Michaels boasted at least thirty
dwellings. The first two decades of the nineteenth century saw the construction of Federal style
homes on Talbot and Mulberry Streets and by the second quarter of the nineteenth-century
prosperity led to expansion beyond the original boundaries laid down by James Braddock.
Development spread north along Talbot Street and into the area of Carpenter Street and Cherry
Street. On the south and west side of Town, houses were built in Thompson's Square and Miller's
Addition.
St. Michaels continued to grow economically during the first years of the nineteenth century. The
main activity was shipbuilding and many of the Town’s residents were employed in the yards or in
support activities. Swift schooners, known as “Baltimore Clippers,” were built at St. Michaels. A
clipper brig called the “John Gilpin,” launched from the harbor in 1830, set a trans-Pacific speed
record which stood for thirteen years, sailing to Canton, China from Callao, Peru.
The importance of the shipyards was demonstrated by the need to protect them from British attach
during the War of 1812. An attempt was made to capture the Town and its shipyards in 1813. This
raid was repulsed and the shipyards and the Town saved from further efforts by the British to
destroy the yards. However, changes in the national economy and the rise of Baltimore as a ship
building town made it difficult for St. Michaels to compete in shipbuilding and the town went
through a period of little growth.
The 1850s brought the beginnings of commercial oystering and fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and
in the other rivers of the Eastern Shore. Oystering brought renewed prosperity and a new round of
shipbuilding for that industry. Other types of vessels crafted at the boatyards of St. Michaels
included pungys, schooners, bugeyes, and skipjacks. Many of these designs are unique to the
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Chesapeake Bay. The area also began to see the development of canneries and processing plants
for oysters and later for crabs. Vegetable canneries also became important to the local economy
and to farmers in the region.
The street system and structural
fabric of St. Michaels Downtown
and surrounding area have
changed very little since 1877 as
shown here.
By 1877 the Town showed considerable growth including the development of the northwestern
section and the central western area which now makes up the business district. With the exception
of growth to the south and west of Town, St. Michaels has changed very little in structural character
and design during the past century. Those changes were captured on an agricultural atlas that was
published for the Eastern Shore counties in that year, as displayed above.
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Description:The 2015 Comprehensive Plan defines the mission of our local government and a vision for the future of St. Michaels . includes: health, safety and welfare of the Town; wildlife conservation; clean water in the Bay and its tributaries The parish was named “St. Michaels” after the Archangel, St.
